Family Matters
by Apples200
Summary: Picks up just after 4x10. How do Wade and Zoe deal with the newest chapter of their lives and how do they deal with what is to come? I do not own Hart of Dixie or any of it's characters.
1. Chapter 1

**So yeah, I'm back again! Just an idea I had, let me know what you think of it, thanks!**

…**.**

"Rock paper scissors? That's how you want to decide this?"

"Well what's your brilliant suggestion?"

Wade paused, thinking for a minute as Zoe stared at him "Alright fine, so how do we do this?"

Zoe sat herself up in the bed "We each say a name, we then play rock paper scissors and whoever wins gets to use the name of their choice."

Wade winced a little, he wasn't 100% sure this was how you were meant to name your child, but they were getting desperate. Zoe sensed he was uneasy at the thought of naming his son through the means of some childish recreation but she feared if they waited much longer then their son would starting responding to TBD.

Wade propped himself into a more comfortable position on the edge of the bed and put his hand out in front of him.

"Ready? Got your name?" Zoe asked as she put her hand just inches away from his.

"Yep." He answered as they began to move their closed fists up and down. Zoe stared intensely at his moving fist as did he.

"One… two… three." Zoe said quickly as both ripped open their hands to reveal their choices. Wade glared at her middle and index finger set apart to make the shape of a scissors and then looked down at his flat palm. He hung his head as Zoe smiled.

"See that was pretty simple wasn't it?"

Wade could only groan "Alright so what name you got?"

Zoe paused for a minute as she looked over at the sleeping baby in the hospital bassinet that stood just a foot away from them "Charlie."

Wade winced almost immediately.

"What's wrong with Charlie? Charlie Hart-Kinsella? It's a nice name." She argued as Wade continued a look of disdain on his face.

"It is a nice name, I also thought it was nice name back in '07 when I was doin' a girl with that exact name in the back of a pick-up truck."

Zoe's face fell "Are you kidding me? I thought we would've had this problem if we had a girl… but a boy?! What are we going to do? Our son is pushing 30 hours without a name!"

Wade knew she was getting stressed and that was the last thing he wanted. He moved up the bed to bed beside her, putting his arm around her, similar to 30 hours ago. He glanced over at their son, who despite all the commotion, continued to sleep soundly.

"Doc, listen to me. It has been a crazy 2 days and he is 3 weeks early so really when you think about it, it's partly his fault he doesn't have a name yet."

Zoe let a little laugh slip, she loved his attempts to make her smile but she still felt guilty they didn't have a name for him yet- even if he did arrive 3 weeks early. She hooked her left arm under his right one and linked their hands together as she rested her head on his shoulder. Wade was so exhausted that the moment he felt her head against his shoulder his eyes became heavy and slowly they began to close. Zoe looked up at him- unlike her, who had managed to sleep on and off for a few hours, Wade had slept minimal hours. He insisted on staying up in the hours after the birth- cradling his new-born son as he let Zoe sleep and last night when Lavon offered to stay, he was adamant on remaining by his family's side. Zoe didn't disturb him but it seemed like the newest member of their family had different ideas. It still seemed strange to Zoe to hear his tiny squeals and it was extremely overwhelming to think he was now their responsibility. Wade woke the second he heard the fragile cries and looked over the bassinet.

"I got him." He said to Zoe before she had a chance to move. She watched on proudly as he slowly picked the wriggling infant from the bassinet and embraced him in his arms. She couldn't help but smile as he made his way back onto the bed. Slowly the cries reduced to whinging and then down to the occasional whimper.

"It won't always be that easy." Zoe joked; not wanting to take away from Wade's little victory of comforting their son.

Wade smiled at her as he continued to bounced the baby lightly until he drifted back to sleep. Both his parents continued to dote over him as he slept, Zoe not stressing over her nameless son and Wade not stressing over his wife stressing.

"I still can't believe it, that I freaked out over somethin' this incredible." Wade said with all his attention on their son.

"It seemed so daunting back then…" Zoe said honestly as she rested her hand on the blanket that was wrapped around his tiny body "… it still does, but not as much as before." She looked up at Wade who met her stares half way. He gave her a small smile before pressing his lips against hers. Together they felt nothing but perfection- it trumped the exhaustion and the hormones and the emotions, it was just the three of them.

….

"I still can't believe y'all dumped Lavon out of the name race…" Lavon complained as he looked down at the sleeping baby in Lemon's arms. She could only roll her eyes as Zoe giggled. Wade re-emerged from the bathroom with a fresh shirt on and a clean shave. Zoe could still see the dark rings of tiredness under his eyes but it was an improvement.

"So, when do you guys think you'll get home?" Lemon asked as she struggled to peel her attention from the baby.

"Later today hopefully, you guys mind bringin' us home? Both our cars are still in Bluebell." Wade asked as he took a seat at the end of the bed.

"Sure." Lavon answered as Lemon placed the baby into his arms.

Wade looked at Zoe "Great, thanks. Also, y'all mind goin' out and buyin' us a car seat? We hadn't gotten around to buyin' one of those yet." He asked sneakily as Lavon scoffed.

"Consider it our gift." Lemon said politely as Lavon completely ignored the conversation- too engrossed in the newest addition to the Plantation family.

"You sure? Cause those things are very expens-"

"Whoa Doc…" Wade said interrupting her "… if they wanna buy us one as a gift, then it would be rude to say no."

Lemon smiled, knowing full well the price of the item but she didn't have an issue with it. She looked back down at the peaceful baby.

"Still no name?" She asked hopefully as Zoe's frustration reared its ugly head once again.

"Not yet, we can't agree on many and those we do agree on just don't feel right. They don't suit him."

Wade rubbed his hand up and down her back, trying to ease her bubbling emotion and it worked to a certain extent but they both knew this would continue to be an issue until they decided on a name. Lemon could see their frustration and soon saw that not everyone picked their children's names when they were 12 years old.

"What about family names?"

Zoe sighed "I don't want to name him after my dad…" she looked over at Wade "… and we can't call him Harley for reasons we won't speak about now, we don't really have any other options."

Lemon thought for a moment "Well what about somethin' trendy, let the kid really make his mark."

"Lavon." Lavon suggested as Wade smiled to himself. Lemon threw her new fiancé a serious glare and quickly the mayor refocused all his attention on the baby.

"I think you guys are just over thinkin' this whole thing…" Lemon stated "… when the perfect name comes along, you'll know." She spoke so confidently it almost made Zoe mad, but she greatly appreciated the help.

"So how you feelin' Zoe?" Lavon asked as he gently placed her son in her arms. The baby moved only slightly during the transfer but must've known he was in his mother's arms because he didn't make a sound.

"Tired, but good…" she paused "…but you know, I thought the cravings for pastries would go after I had the baby but…"

"I put an order into the Butterstick this mornin', there'll be a fresh box when waitin' for you when you get home." Lavon said, knowing it would be only a matter of time before she brought up the pastries.

Zoe smiled to herself "You're the best" as Wade smiled also.

….

It was close to 7 by the time the new family arrived home, between Wade and Lavon's intense discussion over how to install the car seat and Zoe's last minute freak out over the baby being okay to go home it took them an hour longer than it should have. Lavon had strategically arranged the town bingo bonanza for the same time they were due home, keeping all visitors at bay. The sun was just setting on a warm day as Wade and Zoe slowly climbed the steps of the carriage house with their son safely secured in his carrier.

"Welcome home TBD." Wade joked as he opened the door and led them inside. Zoe couldn't help but smile at his joke. All she could think about was having a shower and lying in her own bed but it seemed that the only other townspeople not at the bingo was Earl and May, who were eager to meet the newest arrival.

"Knock knock." Earl announced as Wade swung around to see his father and father's girlfriend standing in the doorway with a bouquet of flowers and a wrapped present in their respective hands. Wade looked over at Zoe and smiled awkwardly.

"We saw the car pulled up and said we better get in before the crowd…" Earl stated as he looked at his son.

"It is okay we're here, isn't it?" May asked but Zoe was quick to ease her queries.

"Of course it is… you guys are family."

Wade tingled hearing her say that. The last few days had been so crazy he hadn't gotten a chance to really dwell on the fact that they were now husband and wife- another form they needed to fill out, but he wasn't going to worry about that just now.

"I just had to come and see my grandson…" Earl said proudly as he watched Zoe lift the tiny baby from the carrier. He watched as his tiny head rotated slowly before nuzzling into his mother's chest and how his tiny outstretched arms latched onto Zoe's jumper and didn't let go "… and my daughter in law."

Wade blushed and Zoe noticed, smiling over at him as Earl and May doted over the newest family member.

"I always knew you two would end up together…" Earl stated as he looked over at his son "…this one was crazy 'bout you from day one. Even when you two were with those other people, I knew you'd be together eventually."

Zoe smiled "Do you want to hold him?"

Earl's brow raised slightly "Really?"

"Well yeah, you are his grandpa after all."

Earl smiled to himself as he took a seat on the couch, slowly Zoe set his grandson in his arms as Earl's stomach jumped and his eyes began to fill with tears. May took a seat beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder for support and Zoe did the same when she saw Wade standing in front of his father with tears in his eyes.

"He's a cracker son, well done."

Wade smiled "Thanks Dad…"

Earl cleared his throat as he looked over at May and then back at his grandson "I sure wish your Momma was here to see this little boy… she'd be real proud."

Wade sighed as he looked down at Zoe. Her heart broke in that moment. The only imperfect thing about the last few days was that both Harley and Wade's mom were absent and although she had only ever seen photos of his mother, she knew that every good quality Wade exhibited came from her and that he wouldn't be the man he was today if it wasn't for her.

"Wade…" Zoe whispered up to him.

"Yeah…" He answered back down to her.

"I know what his name is; I know what we should name our son…."

…**.**

**Let me know what you think thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the reviews, a lot of people had the same view on the name as I did. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you make of it. Thank you.**

…**.**

Wade let the pen hover over the piece of paper, hesitant to make a commitment to the task at hand. Each time he put the pen to paper something in him froze as he looked up to see Zoe standing in front of him.

"You know once I fill this out, there's no goin' back."

Zoe rolled her eyes "I know how this works dummy, just fill it out so we can send it off in the morning post. I don't want to miss it."

"It's 6:30am, no fear in missin' it."

Zoe smiled through a desperate groan; she was hoping it was later than that and it was just a freak coincidence that there was no one around town. The past 3 days had moulded into one and neither her or Wade knew which way was up as they came to grips with parenthood. The days, or at least the hours that weren't spent in the darkness of the nursery were manageable but the nights were proving a challenge- they had both experienced nights without sleep - for Zoe it was rushing around an ER for 18 hours straight trying to think and stay upright at the same time and for Wade it was nights on end of partying and having fun, and so for both of them to find themselves sitting up at 5am with a screaming baby unable to communicate what was ailing him was a culture shock to say the least.

Zoe gently removed the sleeping baby from the koala position he had taken up against her body and placed him in the bassinet, trying desperately not to wake him. She crept away slowly and back into Lavon's kitchen where Wade was still sitting at the counter with the pen hovering over the page.

"Wade…"

Wade looked over at her as she took a seat beside him and took the pen out of his hand.

"Seeing Earl hold him the other day… it just clicked. I want to call him after your mom, to have that sense of family and tradition. I want to call him Jack."

"Jack Hart-Kinsella." She said aloud as she smiled to herself.

Wade's stomach tingled; hearing the passion in her voice was warming to him- he wasn't used to speaking about his family and especially not about his mom. He was honoured that Zoe wanted to name their son after her and ever since she said it to him the other night he couldn't help but feel like it was the perfect name and the perfect way to keep his mother's legacy alive.

Wade swept a loose hair behind her ear, revealing her beautiful face, and smiled "She'd really love you Doc… and I know she'd love Jack too."

Zoe smiled as she brushed her cheek against his hand, a moments respite for them both but it didn't last long as Lavon and Lemon made their way down the stairs, both still in their pyjama's but looking well resting and refreshed- something Wade and Zoe were not. At first Lavon queried why his kitchen and living room were in darkness but once he saw the bassinet in the corner he lowered his tone and slowed right down to a slow creep, with Lemon not far behind.

"Mornin'…" he whispered as he carefully reached for the pot of coffee that sat on the counter.

"Speak for yourself…" Zoe said as she picked at the pastry on her plate "… we've been up since 5."

Lemon cringed "TBD still not sleepin' at night?"

Wade was amused at the fact his son was still being referred to as TBD and gave a little laugh "TBD is no more…"

Lemon and Lavon perked up.

"Seriously? Lavon asked hopefully as Zoe smiled.

"Yep."

"Y'all went with Lavon didn't ya?"

Lemon rolled her eyes as Zoe smiled "No…" Zoe looked at Wade and smiled "We've decided to name him Jack…"

Lemon and Lavon smiled at each other, both realising the significance of the name. Wade fiddled with the pen in his hand as he tried to hide the proud smile that was plastered across the face.

"He looks like a Jack." Lemon said sweetly as Zoe gave a smile.

"So what's with all the forms?" Lavon asked as he placed three strips of bacon in the frying pan assisted by Lemon who cracked a couple of eggs into a jug and began to whisk them. Zoe decided it was time to finally let the day in and seen as her son was rustling around in the bassinet- she pulled open the blinds. Wade needed a moment to adjust to the light before looking back down at the form. He completed the final requirement of the form and slipped it into the brown envelope along with the registration fee.

"Well now that he's got a name, we gotta make it official…" he sealed the envelope "… and also cough up 30 bucks for bein' a few days late."

Lemon rolled her eyes "Do you need me to mail that for you?"

Wade smiled "Yes please." He said sweetly "Could you also call into the Rammer Jammer and see how things are gettin' on there?"

Lavon cocked his head "Why can't you do it?"

Wade winced as he took a sip of coffee, looking over at Zoe "I go there and everyone is gonna be all in our faces askin' 'bout the kid and I just-"

"I completely understand Wade." Lemon said, interrupting him "Do you want me to do a background check on Sammy too? I don't trust her, no legitimate woman is that comfortable in flannel."

"Just the bar will be fine."

….

Zoe held the tiny pair of socks in her hand, they were so small they fit in the palm of her hand and she had small hands. That brand new cotton feeling against her skin was almost comforting or maybe she was so exhausted that she was just going a bit insane and taking comfort in the smallest of things. She placed the socks on the bed and continued to rummage through the big box of clothes her mom had insisted on sending her even though they had more than enough. She appreciated the fact her mother was eager to be involved in her grandson's life but there was only so many pairs of corduroy dungarees a new born could wear. She sifted through a few more stacks of clothes before she heard Wade coming down the stairs with Jack in his arms, his head resting against Wade's chest.

"You know for someone who is only 6 days old, he sure craps a lot." Wade stated as he handed him over to Zoe revealing a vomit stain rolling down his shirt. He groaned a little as Zoe smiled down at Jack who looked up at her with those big dark brown eyes that were an exact copy of hers. She was so engrossed in her son she never noticed Wade searching frantically through the drawers for something and only drew her attention when he caught his finger in the drawer and yelped. Zoe's head shot up and looked over.

"What are you doing?"

"Tryin' to find a clean shirt…" Wade mumbled as he continued his search "…I gotta go down to the Rammer Jammer for a bit."

"I thought Lemon went down there and said everything was fine."

Wade rejoiced as he found a shirt that didn't have spit up or formula on it "Yeah she said fine, Lemon never says fine."

Zoe rolled her eyes "I highly doubt she is lying."

Wade peeled the old shirt off his body revealing his bare chest as Zoe handed him a can of deodorant "For all we know, Sammy could have robbed us, Tom and Wanda could be back to stealin' the fries and Meatball is probably drinkin' free beer!"

"What happened to 'everyone is going to be all in our faces'?"

Wade paused, his eyes bulging and his voice panicky "I can't believe you're jokin' 'bout this..."

"Because it's ridiculous you're stressing yourself out for no reason and you're going to down there, everything will be running smoothly and then everyone really will be 'all in your face'."

Wade shook his head as he sprayed some deodorant under his arms just as there was a knock at the door, both looked at each other and then at the door as it pushed open and AB walked in. First thing she saw was Wade's bare chest and she couldn't help but blush.

"Oh I didn't realise you two were-"

"We're not…" Zoe interjected as she stood up, allowing Jack to stretch his little legs out "He's looking for a clean shirt, our laundry skills are even more below par than usual."

AB nodded her head for a moment but the second she heard the coos coming from Jack her attention switched instantly. Zoe gladly handed him over- freeing her up to use the bathroom which she needed to so desperately do. She scurried past Wade who had finally covered himself up.

"Oh Wade he is just the most adorable thing I've ever seen…" AB clucked as she bounced him in her arms. Wade smiled as he searched for his keys and wallet amongst the mess that had gathered on the dressing table "… how's it going?"

"Good, especially the crappy diapers and no sleep." Wade joked as he tied the laces on his boots as Zoe remerged from the bathroom.

"Where are you off to?" AB asked as her and Zoe took a seat on the couch.

"He's convinced the Rammer Jammer is being run into the ground…"

Wade rolled his eyes "I just need to check up on a few things, you want me to bring back dinner?"

"No it's okay; I'll go over to Lavon's."

Wade nodded his head "alright…" he bent down and kissed her "… I'll see you guys later."

"Bye Wade…" AB called after him as he raced out the door, she looked over at Zoe "… well aren't you two just the ultimate power couple" she joked as Jack began to whimper in her arms. Zoe gave a little laugh whilst searching for his pacifier.

"If power couples function on no sleep then yes, we are." She placed the pacifier in her son's mouth who soon drifted back to sleep.

"Well from someone who had a solid 8 hour sleep last night I can safely say that he is beautiful…" she gazed down at him "… and I love the name too."

Zoe gave a sweet smile "Thank you. It's exhausting but also wonderful; I still can't believe Wade and I made that!"

"And to think that this time last year you two weren't even together."

Zoe exhaled heavily "I know, it's funny how things work out isn't it."

AB stared back down at the sleeping baby, so many emotions stirred up within her as she smiled. She couldn't help but feel a little envious of Zoe and what she had, this perfect little boy and a husband who would move mountains for her- she just hoped Zoe realised how lucky she was.

….

Wade was just coming in the front door when he heard the cries and noticed Zoe was asleep in bed, he had only been gone a few hours but clearly Zoe didn't last that long. He thought about caving and just bringing his son downstairs and into bed with them but instead he sat there, in the darkness of the nursery with his son cradled in his arms. His little breathing pattern was melodic as Wade rocked back and forth slowly in the rocking chair. He rotated his head slowly to catch a glimpse of the time and groaned once he saw it '9:19pm' he groaned again- knowing it would be another long night. He looked down at his son, his eyes wide open, looking up at him, still with that new born scrunched up face, his right arm wedged between his head and Wade's body. He looked so peaceful for someone who had just spent the last 40 minutes screaming his lungs up. Wade had contemplated trying to move his son into the crib but honestly a part of him just wanted to sit here and hold him- at a time when his son would be at his smallest, when he relied on him the most. Everyone had told Wade and Zoe that the first few weeks would be the best and the worst. The worst being that they would get hardly any sleep and spend most days with their eyes half open and they had most definitely picked up on that part of parenting. Wade looked back down and smiled once he saw that his eyes had closed, he sat there for a few minutes longer to make sure the slumber was official before making the transfer into the crib. Slowly he lowered him onto the soft mattress and fixed the blanket to cover his torso. The tiny baby only moved slightly as he moved from his father's arms to the crib.

"Sleep tight buddy…" Wade whispered to his son as he stroked his stomach softly with his fingertips knowing full well he would be back here in 2 hours when he woke again. Wade slowly backed out of the room, leaving the door slightly open, and tiptoed down the stairs as he tried to make as little noise as possible.

Zoe never heard him come down the stairs nor did she hear him crawl into bed beside her but she did feel his body brush against her she woke.

"Is he asleep?" She mumbled as she searched for his arm and pulled it across her body.

"For now anyway…" Wade replied.

"He slept through dinner and then just screamed the house down for a half hour, then fell back to sleep- probably because he was so exhausted from crying."

Wade smiled "Probably explained why he was so alert up there..."

Zoe found herself smiling at the fact and suddenly she wasn't so sleepy. She turned into him, wanting to know more.

"He just stared up at me; I think he wanted to see how long I'd last before I'd pass out."

Zoe laughed a little as she moved in closer to him "He had a big day today, probably didn't want it to end."

"Yeah, he finally got a name." Wade quipped as Zoe smiled.

"It's a good name though…" Zoe added.

Wade smiled as he moved in and kissed her softly "It's a great name." He whispered through their joint lips. He fell back down onto the bed as they both lay there in silence, both exhausted yet neither able to sleep.

"It's going to get easier right…?" Zoe asked hopefully, the exhaustion seeping from her voice "… he's going to sleep more than 2 hours at a time?"

Wade gave her a comforting smile as he brushed his knuckles up and down her bare arm. He could see in her eyes how tired she was, the truth was he didn't know- right now it felt as if that day would never come but he just had to believe that they would find some sort of routine to get them through the worst.

"It will. We just gotta tough it out for a bit…." Wade gazed at her softly "… it's still pretty incredible though."

"I know, it's amazing what can happen when you use an expired condom." Zoe quipped as Wade sniggered. Wade looked over at the baby monitor that stood on the bedside locker, knowing soon enough there would be screams emerging from it.

"How was the Rammer Jammer?" Zoe asked half asleep as Wade pulled her into him. She could hear the slightest of scoffs before a long pause.

"Fine."

Zoe smiled to herself as she gripped at his hand that rested on side, hearing his light snores she herself soon dozed off knowing it would be only a few hours before they would be up again but strangely enough- it didn't bother her.

…**.**

**Please let me know what you thought of it. Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

….

Lavon looked around the kitchen. Something seemed off, for one thing there was complete silence. There were no dirty baby bottles sitting in the sink, the trash was empty and not filled with dirty diapers and lastly there was no evidence of late night snacking- the fridge was fully stocked. He sipped from his mug of coffee, glancing up at the clock _'9:15am'_ and still no sign of Wade or Zoe. He looked up once more as Lemon strolled into the kitchen with the biggest smile on her face.

"Good mornin' Lavon… lovely day isn't it?"

Lavon squared his eyes "It's too quiet in here."

Lemon poured herself some coffee as she shook her head in disagreement. They had spent the past month knee deep in diapers, pacifiers and endless hours of tears and so to have a morning without disturbance was like music to her ears.

"Don't get me wrong, I love baby Jack but it's nice to have some peace first thing in the mornin'…" she examined the full basket of muffins "… but it is strange that they aren't here."

"Maybe they were here but just stayed really quiet and cleaned up after themselves?"

Lemon raised her brow, not even giving her fiancée a response to that ridiculous notion. She didn't question the peace though and continued about preparing some breakfast as the kitchen door swung open and suddenly, normality was restored.

"Good morning." Zoe said chirpily as Wade followed behind with Jack in his arms. Instantly Lemon noticed something different about Zoe, a few things actually. Her hair wasn't in a messy bun like it had been for the past few weeks, she was wearing something other than cut-off jeans and loose t-shirts and finally, her face looked more radiant than it had in a long time… it wasn't that new mother glow, it was make-up.

"Zoe are you-"

"Wearing make-up? Yes I am Lemon." Zoe said proudly as she buzzed around the kitchen with Lavon following her every move in shock, he hadn't seen her this energetic in a long time. Lemon looked over at Wade- he was wearing a shirt that hadn't been reused more than 3 times in the one week, he was clean shaven and even smelled like a bottle of generic aftershave. Lemon even looked over at Jack who sat peacefully in his bouncer on the counter; he was wearing something other than a onesie and looked quite sharp in his t-shirt and denim shorts.

"What's goin' on?" Lemon asked suspiciously as Wade and Zoe looked at each other.

"What do you mean?" Wade asked as he poured himself some coffee.

"First time since Jack was born we haven't woken up to his screams or Zoe's naked face, no offense." Lavon declared.

"None taken…" Zoe said confidently as she took a sip of coffee "… we have turned a corner it seems."

"Really?" Lavon inquired as Wade nodded his head.

"We put Jack down at 11 last night; he woke at 3 and then slept right through til 7." Wade said proudly as he and Zoe high fived each other for their parenting achievements.

"We're not getting ahead of ourselves this could probably be a one-time thing…" Zoe admitted "… but for the first time in a month I actually feel like myself."

Lemon smiled "That's great Zoe…" she paused "… so now we can discuss the weddin'?"

Lavon and Wade looked up and then over at each other, this was their chance to escape, to avoid hearing about flowers and centre pieces and swans.

"Why do you need me to discuss your wedding?" Zoe asked.

"Well we should leave you two alone to-"

Lemon swung around and threw the men a filthy look and watched them retreat back to their original position.

"I don't need you per se but I do need some sort of calm in this house and up until today your son, who I love dearly, has been denyin' me of that."

Wade could only roll his eyes.

"Well Lemon don't worry about us, we are going to be out of your hair all day."

"You are?" Lavon asked.

Zoe nodded her head "We are stopping by the practice to see Brick and then we are going to Mobile to collect our marriage certificate, make this thing legal." She nodded in Wade's direction and he nodded back as Lavon smiled.

"So Zoe you're going to check up on the new Doctor?"

Zoe shook her head as Wade smiled "There is a difference between checking up and checking in, and I am checking _in."_

Lavon chuckled "What about you Wade, when are you back to work?"

Wade washed down a mouthful of cereal with some orange juice "I've done a few hours the past week but I go back full time next week. Then hopefully Wanda will be back too."

Lemon seemed confused by that statement as Wade continued to stuff his mouth with food "What do you mean by that?"

"Didn't she have her baby like 6 months ago?" Lavon added as Zoe smiled.

"Wanda won't come back to work while Sammy is there; she thinks she brings a bad vibe to the place." Zoe answered as she unbuckled Jack from his bouncer and held him in her arms to sooth his premature wails.

"Her wardrobe consists of flannel and denim shorts, is that not vibe enough? Wade you should fix this." Lemon argued as Zoe laughed a little.

Wade shook his head "Fix what? There is nothin' to fix."

"Not yet…" Lavon added.

Zoe threw a cloth over her shoulder and then hoisted Jack up in an attempt to wind him "Lavon's right Wade, don't make this into something big."

Wade looked around in disbelief, not really sure how this breakfast conversation had taken such a drastic turn, he turned to Lemon and Lavon "I hired Sammy to fill in for Wanda, she's really helped me out the past month besides I got a free spot on the roster and she's a good worker…" he turned to Zoe "… I didn't think you had an issue with Sammy, why now?"

"I don't and you're right she has helped out big time since Jack was born but I think that Wanda has been with you from the start and if you piss her off then you piss Tom off and that is just the first domino in a long line of customer drop off."

Lemon nodded her head "That's true." She looked over at Lavon who was also looking on at Zoe, neither could believe this new Zoe they were seeing. She was calm and collected and approached this situation maturely and trustfully. She didn't seem one bit stressed about the new hotshot doctor sitting at her desk or about the leggy blonde behind her husband's bar. Lemon knew this wasn't due to a good night's sleep ad she was going to figure it out.

….

"He is just adorable…"

"Look at those eyes…"

Delma looked up from the stroller "Doctor Hart he is just gorgeous, those eyes…"

Zoe tried her hardest not to beam with joy instead she smiled pleasantly as the crowd gathered around the stroller, all in awe of the baby who was more than happy to entertain his admirers by dawning his big round eyes.

"You know, I love baby Froda but I think Jack is the one to beat for cutest baby awards comin' up in a few weeks…" Shula claimed, with the herd of women nodding in agreement.

Wade and Zoe smiled at each other as they continued to let the crowd adore over their son.

"He looks just like you Doctor Hart."

"You think? So far everyone has said he looks like Wade…" Zoe said, with a hint of sadness in hope of getting some praise.

Shula shook her head in disgust as she let the little baby grip his tiny hand around her finger "Nonsense."

As Wade and Zoe watched on like proud parents as the crowd increased, Brick was less than impressed with the volume of noise coming from his waiting room. Once he opened the door he was shocked to see that the reason for the noise was not a sudden flu outbreak but a new born.

"Doctor Hart, what a surprise."

Zoe looked around and smiled at Brick who had a stack full of folders in his hands.

"Ladies, I didn't realise that an epidemic had hit Bluebell and you all required immediate medical attention. " His statement went completely over their heads as he moved closer to the stroller, looked in at the content baby and smiled.

"Wow Wade, he is looking more and more like you every day…"

Zoe scoffed as Wade smiled "Thanks Brick…"

Wade looked over at his wife with a cheeky grin as Brick walked away. Zoe made a face "Whatever, it would be weird if people thought he looked like a girl anyway…" Zoe moved away from the crowd and towards Brick who had ducked in behind the desk and dumped the stack of folders in the filing cabinet.

"To what do I owe this pleasure Doctor Hart? Or are you here to check up on …? "Zoe rolled her eyes as she tapped her finger against the countertop "… I can save you some time, he isn't here, he's on a house call."

"I see…" Zoe said as she looked around the waiting room.

"Do you want me to give you the address so you can spy on him from the bushes?"

Zoe gave a sarcastic smirk "Very funny Bertram… I am just here to see if the practice was still standing, my half at least."

Brick could only respond with a sarcastic smirk "So when can I expect you back at work?"

Zoe paused as she looked back at Wade "I'm not sure…" she said vaguely "… I'm not here for that, just came to say hello."

Brick nodded his head suspiciously as he headed back towards his office, looking back at the crowd of non-paying visitors and groaning.

After eventually pulling their son away from the crowd Wade and Zoe made their way out of the practice and down the street to where the car was parked. It was a quiet day so they got away without any interruptions or people wanting to see the baby. Wade carefully placed Jack into his car seat and pulled the blind down on the car window to stop the midday sun shining in. Wade pulled out of the parking spot and headed out of town at a steady pace as he looked over at Zoe.

"So, I thought about what you said…" he blurted out as Zoe looked over at him, taking her eyes off the road "… I'm gonna go over to Wanda and let her know that she is still my number one woman-" he paused for a moment after reading her facial expression "- work woman of course."

"Well great, I think it will really mean a lot to her…" Zoe said honestly as she squeezed his upper arm gently as a sign of support. She looked back in front of her and noticed that they weren't on the main road to Mobile, instead the back roads.

"Wade, why are you taking the back roads?"

"We're takin' a quick detour."

"We have to be at the courthouse by 12, where are we going?"

Wade smiled; he loved how twisted she got when she didn't know something "Would you just relax, we have plenty of time."

Just as Zoe was about to argue her way into finding out where they were going the car came to a slow stop and suddenly their whereabouts needed no explanation. Her jaw dropped as the barn came into sight in front of them. Wade bit his tongue in anticipation of her reaction, and slowly he got one as she looked over at him, pulling the sunglasses off her face.

"Wade Kinsella, what are we doing here?"

Wade smiled "You'll see." He hopped out of the car leaving her sitting there as he opened the back seat door and gently lifted out the car seat containing his sleeping son. Zoe followed behind as Wade pulled open the barn door with ease. Slowly Zoe made her way into the barn as the memories from 3 years ago came rushing. It still had that same smell and although the cargo had changed numerous times, it still looked the same to Zoe, the only thing missing was the rain. Wade set the car seat down on the wooden stage as Zoe continued to look around.

"It's been a long time, huh?"

Zoe nodded her head "It sure has… still looks the same."

Wade took a seat as he watched Zoe continue to reminisce. She looked over at the corner and smiled to herself "I wonder where the goat is?" she joked as she walked towards Wade and took a seat beside him.

Wade laughed "My guess is that it is long gone."

Zoe nodded her head "Probably..." she looked down at her sleeping son "… well hey as long as we don't let this kid escape…" Wade looked at her blankly as she laughed to herself "…get it? Kid goat- our kid – baby?"

"Oh I got the joke, it just wasn't funny."

"Shut up, it was hilarious!"

Wade laughed a little as he looked at her sweetly; slowly he reached into his pocket, taking a deep breath he pulled out two gold wedding bands. Zoe's eyes immediately dropped on the rings as she smiled.

"When did you get those?" she asked as Wade acted as cool as ever.

"Diaper run the other day ran a little longer than expected."

"Uh huh…" Zoe smiled "…I don't know how people do this sort of thing but I would have bought you one."

"Nah…" Wade declared as he brushed a loose hair of hers behind her ears "… they were on sale anyway."

Zoe giggled "You got our wedding rings on the cheap?!"

"Well I had intended to mine the gold myself but I've a bit busy…"

Zoe blew him a playful dig to the ribs as they both laughed, trying not to wake the baby.

"I figured seen as we are makin' this thing legal, we should add a visual…" he reached for her left hand "… I know we don't really do things the normal way…" he slipped the band onto her finger as Zoe became emotional "… but there is nowhere else I would wanna do this."

Zoe stared down at the ring on her finger, she never thought she would see a ring on that finger and she never imagined it would feel this good. She paused for a moment before taking the second band from his hand and turning his left hand over. Slowly she slid the ring onto his finger as her hand shook "You caught me completely off guard by doing this but…" she paused as she looked over at their son "… if the rest of our lives are half as good as this past month then I will have lived a great life. I love you."

"I love you too." Wade whispered as their lips came together, together sharing a moment of pure love, but Wade had one last surprise as he slowly pulled away from her and reached into his pocket once more. He hesitated for a moment as Zoe watched him reveal a red ring box.

"Wade-"

He knew if he didn't get this all out now, he never would so he just kept going "Earl gave me this right after I found out you were pregnant."

"And when you planned on proposing…"

"And when you took off to New York…"

"Touché" she replied as Wade opened the box revealing the engagement ring causing the smirk to disappear off her face like the speed of light. The ring was beautiful; the diamonds were simple and eloquent but stood out at the same time. She watched as he lifted it off the cushion and reached for her hand once more.

"It was my mom's…" he glided the ring onto her finger "I held onto it the last nine months and I-" he froze for a minute as he stared deep into her eyes , his tone more serious than it had ever sounded "I want you to wear it, cause I know she'd want that too."

Zoe looked down at the two rings on her finger and her stomach flipped. She had never felt this much love and joy in her life as she had in the past month. She looked back up at Wade, the love of her life, the man who managed to make her smile when she was feeling her worst, the man who knew her better than she knew herself. It put her mind at ease knowing that she was going to spend the rest of her life with him and their family.

….

Zoe felt her head dip as she leaned her upper body against the worktop, her eyes closing slowly as she tried her best to stay awake but for some strange reason the sound of the boiling kettle was like a lullaby. As the kettle whistled away in the empty, silent kitchen Zoe found herself falling further and further into a deep sleep. As she drifted off her elbow slipped on the marble surface causing her head to drop abruptly and suddenly she was awake. In a state of panic she looked around the empty kitchen for reassurance, in doing so she managed to knock over the 3 bottles that were waiting to be filled with the boiling water.

"Crap!" She whispered as she dropped to her knees and began picking up the bottles and the formula powder that had fallen. As she tried to navigate in the semi darkness of the kitchen she heard footsteps, followed by a huff and then the central lights switched on and before she knew it Lemon was standing above her with a very dissatisfactory look on her face.

"Zoe Hart what are you doin' on your hands and knees on my kitchen floor at 3:30am?"

Zoe smiled and scoffed a little as she rose to her feet, setting the bottles on the countertop "It's Lavon's kitchen… and I am making bottles."

"Why at 3:30 though?"

Zoe sighed "Because last night really was just a one-time thing. Jack has been screaming his lungs up for the past 2 hours…" She emptied the contents of the bottles into the trash and placed them in the steriliser "… sorry I woke you."

Lemon smiled "It's alright, I was awake anyway."

"Wedding stuff?" Zoe asked as she waited for the steriliser to finish.

Lemon nodded her head "I see Wade gave you his mom's ring…"

Zoe looked down at her hand and smiled "Yeah… fits like a glove." She answered proudly as she plucked the bottles from the steriliser.

Lemon smiled "Well look after it, that woman meant everythin' to Wade."

Zoe hung her head and smiled as she played with the ring "I know Lemon, I will."

There was moments silence between the two as Zoe re-measured the formula and began depositing it into the bottles respectively. Lemon watched on as Zoe focused intensely on the job at hand despite the fact she looked exhausted. Lemon knew what they said about new mothers, how they were radiant and had a glow about them but Zoe looked different, and Lemon couldn't quiet put her finger on it.

"Zoe if you don't mind me askin'… are you okay?"

Zoe looked up, slightly confused at Lemon's sudden question "What do you mean?"

Lemon shrugged her shoulders "You just seem… different."

Zoe scoffed "Maybe it's the no sleep and the constant smell of vomit."

Lemon rolled her eyes "I mean a good different, you seem… happy."

Zoe stopped what she was doing once she heard that word "What are you getting at Lemon?"

"I'm not gettin' at anythin'…" she shifted around in her seat "… in this past month you just seem so blissfully happy."

"Well I am…" Zoe admitted as she screwed the last lid on the bottle "… if I tell you something, will you keep it between us?"

Lemon nodded her head, she watched as Zoe placed the 3 bottles into a saucepan of cool water and wiped her hands dry with a towel. Lemon waited in anticipation but she didn't want to push this new development between her and Zoe.

Zoe took a deep breath as she pushed up the sleeves of Wade's hoody she was wearing "Today, when Wade and I were at the practice with Brick… I felt… nothing, like I didn't want to be there."

Lemon raised her brow; admittedly she was expecting something a little more juicer than that but she was willing to continue "So you're not in a rush to go back to work, what's the big deal?"

Zoe shook her head, realising she wasn't conveying her feelings properly "I mean, I was there surrounded by Brick and the patients and I had no yearning to be a part of it, at all!.." She picked at her nail "… all I could think about was that Jack was due a nap. What is the matter with me Lemon?! I am freaking out!"

"Why are you freaking out?!"

Zoe rubbed her fingers across her brow as her voice lowered in tone "Lemon, one of the things that I worried about when I was pregnant was how much I would miss work and how I wouldn't be able to find that balance between being a mom and being at work but now…"

"All you can care about is your son…" Lemon stated, finishing Zoe's sentence.

Zoe nodded her head "Exactly."

Lemon smiled "Zoe, this is a good thing."

Zoe raised her head "It is?"

"Yes!" Lemon exclaimed "Zoe, that little boy has changed you, into a better person and has made you see the important things in life. So what if you don't care about work right now, it will always be there… but your son won't always be a new born, so enjoy this time with him and with Wade, you'll know when you're ready for work again."

Zoe smiled as she gripped at the bottles in her hand, Lemon was right and she suddenly felt like her mind was at ease "Thank you Lemon."

Lemon smiled as she rose from her seat "Mention this conversation to anyone and I'll-"

"Deny it to the ground… I know, I know." Zoe included with a cheeky grin on her face as she made her way to the door as Lemon made her way upstairs.

….

**Really sorry it took so long, things have been so crazy! Please review and give me your thoughts on the chapter and I promise the next one won't take so long! Thanks.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it took so long, again! Life took over. But anyway, here it is. So I hope you enjoy and please please please review. It's extremely difficult to write not knowing what people think of it, thank you! **

…**..**

Lemon and Lavon had to push their way through the crowded Rammer Jammer before eventually getting to the bar. There were so many people in the vicinity that you couldn't take 3 full steps before bumping into someone. As they shuffled through the crowd a very stressed looking Wade came into view as he darted from out behind the bar and into the far corner with a full tray of drinks and then returned with a tray full of dirty glasses. He glanced up for a second once he saw his friends take a seat in front of him, with sweat rolling down the side of his face. He gave a smile of acknowledgment in their direction before handing off an order of drinks to Sammy who whizzed past him. Taking a breath he wiped his forehead against his rolled up sleeve and took a huge gulp from a glass of water that he had resting under the ledge of the bar.

"It's busy tonight." Lavon shouted over the music coming from the band that played on the makeshift stage.

Wade moved in closer "What?" he screamed.

Lavon shouted a little louder "IT'S BUSY TONIGHT!"

Wade nodded his head and smiled once he understood what his friend was saying "A baseball team passin' through on route to New Orleans, won some tournament in Pensacola. Made Bluebell their party destination for the night…" he moved down the other end of the bar for a minute as Sammy handed him an order of drinks, he shifted back down to where Lemon and Lavon were sitting and began preparing the order "… we've had to make 3 trips for extra beer-" He stopped suddenly as the sound glass smashing rang across the bar. Groaning to himself he looked for one of his staff to go clean up the mess.

Lemon watched as the group of males burst with laughter that carried across the bar "Did you know they were comin'?"

Wade shook his head "Nope and the worst part is I planned on gettin' outta here early tonight, to give Zoe a night off…"

"Well hey, at least it's good for business."

Wade couldn't argue with that but he desperately wanted to get home and as an order of tequila came from the corner, where the majority of the team sat, he knew it would be a long time before he got to go home. He looked up to see one of his waitresses carrying out a tray of 16 shot glasses and a bottle of tequila. Wade looked back at Lemon and Lavon and gave a sarcastic smile.

"You guys want anythin' to drink?"

"Nah…" Lavon answered "… we just wanted to see what all the fuss was about."

Wade gave a nod of understanding as he wiped down the bar with a well-used wash cloth "Alright… hey could you guys call into Zoe on your way home? Let her know that I won't be home til late?"

Lemon and Lavon hopped up from their stools respectively and peeled away from the bar "sure thing buddy" Lavon answered as he guided Lemon out of the bar leaving Wade behind in the madness that had no time of ending soon. As Wade watched them leave the bar he had no time to mope as a 6ft Adonis like figure approached the bar, with a styled haircut and wearing a team tracksuit he swayed ever so slightly having consumed a week's worth of alcohol.

"How you doin' man? What can I get you?" Wade queried as he lifted the clean glasses out of the dishwasher.

The young man paused for a minute, struggling to pull the dollar bills from his wallet "Umm…" he staggered forward "… juice." Wade gave him a blank look as the athlete erupted into a fit of laughter at his inebriated joke. Wade took a wild guess as to what he wanted and handed him a bottle of beer. The youngster smiled and decided to take a break from his group of intoxicated buddies after taking a shining to the gloomy barman.

"One hell of a joint you got here man." He raised his bottle to Wade who gave him a smile of appreciation and watched him swallowed the ice cold beer.

"So what did you guy's win anyway?"

The man placed his beer down on the bar, puffing his chest out proudly "Pensacola Annual Father's League Tournament. 3rd time in 4 years…." He turned around to face his friends, holding his beer up "…YEAAAAHHH!" he screamed at the top of his lungs getting the response he hoped for from his friends who cheered back at him. Wade loosened up a little bit as he moved closer to the man.

"What do you mean by Father's League? Are you guys… all fathers'?"

"Sure am." The man said proudly as Wade dropped his shoulders and scoffed in a state of disbelief. He looked over at the crowd of players once more, studying them in slightly more detail than before. He had an expression of shock on his face as he looked back at his new barstool buddy.

"But, you're like… 15"

The man laughed "I'm 25… got a baseball scholarship to Florida State, girlfriend got pregnant in sophomore year."

"You drop out?" Wade asked with interest.

"Nah, I just knew I wasn't good enough, after we graduated we moved to New Orleans and that's how I met these guys."

Wade looked back over "They're all dads?"

The man nodded "Yep, they all got kids, kinda essential to being in the team…" he looked over at the crowd and in particular an older man with a beer in his hand "… Jim over there, his daughter just finished her first year of college."

Wade scoffed in disbelief "I thought he was the coach!"

The man laughed "Nah man, doesn't matter what age you are, we get together and have some fun and then reward ourselves with a road trip to this tournament."

Wade gave an impressive nod as he held out his hand "I'm Wade."

"Paul..." The man said, shaking Wade's hand "… you got any kids?"

Wade's face lit up "Yeah, uh, a little boy. Our first."

Paul smiled "How old?"

"He was 6 weeks yesterday."

"6 weeks? That's a cute age, they don't really do much and they look cute. Just wait til they start walking and talking! They never shut up!"

Wade laughed "Oh yeah? How old is yours?"

"5- and 3…" he took a sip of his beer "They are the greatest thing in the world man, I mean it. You'll see it with your boy. They become your everything."

Wade absorbed his wise words and smiled, he was beginning to get that feeling in the 6 short week's he had been a father and seeing the pride in Paul's eyes made him excited for the future and what was to come.

"So what are you doing working the nightshift if you got a new born at home?"

Wade shrugged his shoulders "This is my bar, figured I should make an appearance while it's so busy."

Paul nodded his head "Well it's a really nice place man, seriously. Weird town- but good food."

Wade dropped his head as he laughed, Bluebell was weird town but the service was undeniably brilliant.

"Hey man, get all your guys over here… next round on me."

"Yeah?"

Wade concurred "Yeah, us fathers gotta look out for each other am I right?"

Paul stood up, raising his hand for Wade to high five, his face beaming and his body language energetic "Yes you are Wade, yes you are!"

…..

AB gazed down as the baby in her arms, with his big brown eyes meeting her stares half way. AB took her eyes away for a minute, looking over at Zoe "Oh Zoe, he is just gorgeous…" she bounced the baby only slightly as he reacted by rotating his head in a circle "… and he's growing up so fast."

Zoe smiled as she sipped at her coffee, more than happy to let someone else take over baby duties so her arms could have a moment to themselves. While AB continued to idolise over Jack, Lemon flipped through the newspaper and Lavon worked away quietly at the stove preparing some strips of bacon to be placed on the pan that was sizzling with oil. There was a tranquil atmosphere amongst the group but someone was noticeably absent. AB was too busy with Jack to comment and Lemon and Lavon were both busy with their own respective tasks so when Wade did arrive into the kitchen with his eyes half open and his hair a mess it came as a shock to everyone- except for Zoe. Lavon looked up from the stove and smiled as Wade moved onto the empty stool beside Zoe at a glacial pace.

"You look like hell." Lavon said bluntly as Wade grunted.

"What time did those baseball players finally leave at? Lemon questioned, concerned at the look of exhaustion on her friend's face, Zoe scoffed to herself as everyone looked over at her. Lemon raised her brow in Zoe's direction.

"You mean what time did he stumble home at after a night of drinking with his baseball buddies?"

"Ohhhh…" Lavon whistled as he watched Wade rub his face with his hands in an attempt to waken himself up "… someone's in the dog house."

"He isn't in the doghouse…" Zoe said icily "…he's just on night feeds until August."

"When Lavon and I left the Rammer Jammer last night you were ready to kick those guys out. What happened?"

Wade groaned as he poured himself some coffee "I got talkin' to one of them and the next thing I know I'm-"

"He's falling in the door smelling like a bottle of Jack Daniels at 4am." Zoe interjected as Lemon and AB sniggered in each other's directions.

"I was hardly gonna just kick them out! The Rammer Jammer made a killin' last night; I did it for the sake of business." Wade argued but his voice was a little worn so when he attempted to speak at a higher volume is cracked cause Lavon to chortle.

Wade sighed as he leaned in closer to his wife "Baby, I told you I was sorry. I really didn't mean to stay out so late…."

Zoe couldn't stay mad at that face of his; when his eyebrows hung up, showing he was anxious, when his eyes stood out boldly, showing he was genuinely sorry, she just couldn't do it. Although she did enjoy watching him squirm, it really didn't bother her all that much. Wade had been amazing the past 6 weeks and he deserved a night off. Zoe left him in suspense for a moment as she stared at him vacantly before cracking an honest smile and leaning in to kiss him- even if his breath still smelt like beer.

"Well aren't you two just picture perfect." Lavon joked causing everyone to giggle a little.

Once Wade got some coffee into his system he suddenly found a source of energy to overcome his hangover and take his son from AB's arms just in time to feed him. Lemon watched as the pair worked together in preparing the bottle and then watched Wade sit so peacefully with his son as he had his breakfast, it was as she watched him bond with his son an idea hit her.

"Zoe, what are your plans for tonight?" Lemon asked.

Zoe shrugged her shoulders "the usual: diaper, feed, no sleep. Why?"

Lemon sipped at her coffee "Well between you havin' a baby, AB jet settin' between here and Nashville and me plannin' this weddin' we have not had a night to relax, a night off…" she looked over at Wade as her tone dipped "… a night out."

AB's face lit up "I would love a night out."

Zoe on the other hand was far from enthusiastic about the idea and showed her hesitation "I don't know Lemon… I mean Jack has a scheduled and I-"

"Wade will be with him, he'll be fine."

"But I-"

"But nothin'..." Lemon stated "… a night out will be good for you, for all of us."

"I think it's a good idea Doc…" Wade said chiming in as he burped Jack cautiously "… you need a night to yourself."

"Come on Zoe it will be fun. We can go for dinner and a few drinks…" AB added, trying her best to convince Zoe who admittedly was beginning to crack under the peer pressure.

"I guess a few hours-"

"That's a yes!" AB exclaimed, cutting Zoe off. Lemon and AB basked in their celebration as Zoe looked over at Wade with a conceded smile on her face.

….

Zoe covered her right hand with her left in an attempt to restrain herself from turning over her cell phone that sat by her plate. She tried to refocus her attention to the conversation going on at the table but she just couldn't. Lemon also watched with one eye on the phone and the other on Zoe who was fighting herself from looking at the phone.

Lemon sighed " Doctor Hart didn't you ever learn that it is rude to have cell phones at the dinner table?"

"I agreed to put it on silent; I never agreed to take it off the table."

AB decided it was time to step in "Zoe, Jack is fine, he is with Wade and Lavon…" she poured some wine into the tall wine glass in front of Zoe's face "… you just need a distraction- and alcohol."

The three girls giggled a little as slowly Zoe loosened up and relaxed a little. She knew in the back of her mind that she needed a night off. In the past 6 weeks she had spent so much time sitting up with a screaming baby who just would not close his eyes, and in those moments all she wished for was some peace, to be able to hear herself think and now- for a few hours at least- she had that peace and the opportunity to have a conversation with someone who could do more than gurgle and spit up.

"So Lemon, how is the weddin' plannin' goin'?" AB asked as she skimmed through the menu.

"Done..." Lemon said bluntly, she looked up at the waiter "… I'll have the chicken."

AB and Zoe looked over at each other in shock "Done?!" AB questioned, in disbelief that Lemon Breeland could have organised her wedding in less than 6 weeks.

Lemon sipped at her wine "Well between you spendin' more time in Nashville than here and Zoe bein' so busy with Jack, I just put my head down and got it done. It's in July by the way."

"This July!?..." Zoe shrieked "… Lemon that's like a month away, I have so much baby weight to lose!"

"42 days actually."

"Well thanks for the heads up…" Zoe quipped as she suddenly started to regret her food order and took another sip of wine.

"The first fittin' for your bridesmaids dresses will be in about two weeks or so…" Lemon looked over towards AB "… make sure you're not in Nashville that weekend."

"You've spent so much time going back and forth between here and Nashville… How's it going with you two?" Zoe asked.

AB sighed "He' coming home in two weeks so I'll be here. The long distance is hard; we travel so much just for 3 days together- at most. I wish there was a way for this to work for both of us. How do we figure this all out? Long term I mean because I don't know how much longer I can go… short term."

Zoe and Lemon looked at each other with a sympathetic look, they felt for AB not having George around, especially seen as they both had their significant others with them in Bluebell and couldn't imagine being that far away from them.

"We're terrible example of long distance relationships, we all know what Lemon did while George was in New York…" Zoe admitted as Lemon rolled her eyes at her humour "… and my long distance relationship with Joel was a disaster."

"But you were in love with Wade durin' your relationship with Joel so I don't think that counts." AB said as she sipped at her wine.

Zoe nodded her head "True, but it was still a disaster."

"The point is AB, if you think this thing with George is serious, then I think you need to give all you've got."

AB smiled to herself as Zoe watched on, she could tell from the look in AB's eye that it was real and was going somewhere and something about that stood out to Zoe, that feeling when you're just starting out, that feeling of the unknown- complete fear but also excitement. She remembered having that feeling with Wade, it seemed like such a long time ago… like another lifetime.

…..

Lavon watched in awe as the tiny baby slept so peacefully on his father's chest, his tiny fingers wrapped around the fabric of Wade's shirt and his legs curled up with his rear in the air. Completely oblivious to the noise of the TV and the chatter between the two men, the baby snoozed as he had done for most of the day but that didn't seem to interfere with his lengthy comatose.

"How is it one little person can sleep so much?" Lavon queried as he gently stroked the baby's hand.

Wade smiled as he looked down at his son, his left hand supporting his bottom "It ain't easy, that's for sure."

"I still can't believe you and Zoe got a kid, pretty crazy."

"Sometimes I can't believe it…" he rested his nose against Jack's head, taking in that indescribable baby scent "… if you had told me 9 months ago that this is what it would be like I wouldn't have believed you."

"Just wait til he starts walkin' and talkin'. All the football games and fishin' trips… gonna be great." Lavon said excitedly. While Wade agreed with him that bringing his son to games and on fishing trips was something to look forward to there was a part of him wanted his son to stay this small forever. He never imagined getting so much joy from holding his son and how much it would affect him and how he now thought. It was only after spending time with other fathers did Wade recognise this feeling and really acknowledge it.

"I think I want him to stay small for a little while…" Wade whispered to himself as he cradled his son. Lavon didn't hear him whisper those words as he reached for a fresh bottle of beer from the fridge and retook his seat on the couch.

"You sure you don't want one?" He asked as Wade gagged at the sight of the brown bottle.

"Nah, think I'll stick with milk…" he fiddled with the baby bottle before bringing it to his nose and sniffing the teat, getting that sweet scent of formula from the almost empty bottle "… at least they say it's milk."

Lavon smiled "You still recoverin' from last night?"

"Well the 3 hour nap with this little guy helped… but yeah, haven't had a night like that in a while. You know you should really think 'bout settin' up one of those father only baseball teams here in Bluebell, I think it would be a real success."

"Yeah, I can see Tom Long pitchin' all those fastballs, a thing of beauty. Will Brick be your coach?" He chuckled to himself as Wade rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious, I think it would be good."

Lavon sensed Wade wasn't joking about this and decided to brush it off, still not fully understanding of how and why Wade was so taken with his night of partying with that baseball team. He looked over at Wade who gently slid the teat of the bottle into his son's mouth and encouraged him to finish the rest of the bottle before he could put him down for the night. Lavon was still getting used to seeing this side of his best friend, he knew Wade had a soft side to him but every time he was around that little boy he transformed into a completely different person. A better person all the same but still someone he was getting used to.

…..

Zoe stayed as quiet as possible whilst pushing open the front door and then locking for the night. She could see the bedside light was on in the bedroom through the crack in the partly open door. She kicked off her shoes and placed them against the wall before slowly pushing open the door, the first thing she saw was Wade's outstretched body, his left arm resting above his head as he snored lightly. Zoe gave a slight smile at her sleeping husband and as she moved closer to the bed she noticed that lying by his side was Jack who also slept peacefully with his dummy moving up and down in rhythm with his breathing pattern. That brought a real smile to her face as she placed her handbag on the floor and slowly made her way to the other side of the bed where she saw Wade had made a wall around his son with pillows- even though the infant could only kick his legs, she praised him for his safety conscious efforts. Both boys looked so peaceful as Zoe quietly undressed and got ready for bed but once she lifted the pillow from Jack's side, Wade stirred and immediately awoke from his slumber.

"Sorry…" Zoe whispered "… I tried my best to be quiet."

Wade smiled whilst turning on his side to watch her climb into bed without disturbing the sleeping baby "Stumblin' home drunk now are we Doctor Hart?" he joked as Zoe stroked her finger down the bridge of Jack's nose.

Zoe smirked "Not drunk…" she looked over at him "… but I did have a good time. I'm glad I went."

Wade smiled as he reached over for her hand "Good, you deserved a night off."

"It was weird not having Jack with me though, felt like I was missing a limb. How crazy is it that in 6 weeks we are like, completely different people!"

"Tell me about it…" Wade said in a sombre tone.

Zoe picked up on the tone and became concerned "How'd your guys' night go with Lavon?"

Wade rubbed his hand over Jack's stomach "Pretty good, but…"

"But what?"

Wade sighed as he looked back over at his wife "Don't get me wrong, Lavon and George are my best friends but last night with the other dads- they understand things better than the other guys. Like that weird nappy rash on Jack gets? One of the baseball dads his daughter had the exact same rash until they switched from sudocream to E45 cream…" Zoe couldn't help but smile at how passionately Wade spoke about diapers "… the guys just don't get that stuff, I mean they listen n all but still- it's different now."

Zoe felt for Wade, she could see it in him, that transformation to fatherhood but still hanging onto his previous life. She knew it wouldn't always be like this- eventually Wade would find that happy medium between dad and 'one of the guys'.

Zoe played with Wade's wedding band " Just think about it this way, by the time they all start having kids, we'll be like pros at it… we'll have all the power." Wade couldn't help but laugh at her, maybe she was little drunk but her words made him feel better. They both looked down at their son, his little sandy blonde hairs becoming more and more distinct on his otherwise bald head. Without even noticing it, that little boy had become the centre of their universes and although it meant changing a lot of things in the life they were used to, they were changes both were willing to make.

…**.. **

**Hope you liked it! Please let me know what you think, thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

**It is shameful how long it's been since I updated and I am sorry for that. Life and work has been crazy but I'm back now and hope the updates can be more frequent! I hope you enjoy **

…**..**

"Did you just see that?!"

"See what?"

"He- he just smiled at me!"

Zoe winced "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that was just gas. A gas smile."

Wade shook his head as he lifted his son from the stroller in front of them and into the now familiar position of resting against his chest "I don't know… I think the boy could be a genius Doc."

Zoe smiled as she fixed the sun hat on the baby's head. The blazing sun shining down on them was only partly eased by the shade of the tall tree's that stood behind the bench they sat at. It was too hot to have all 3 of them cooped up in the carriage house and with Lavon's hardwood floors being refurbished, Wade and Zoe decided it was best to get away from the plantation and all the noise and dust.

Zoe watched as Wade looked down at his son, completely enthralled. She watched as he rubbed his back gently and kissed his head. Zoe couldn't take her eyes off the two of them, seeing Wade bond with their son was possibly the greatest thing he had ever witnessed and made her feel better regardless of how tired or frustrated she was in that moment. As the three family members sat together, embracing all the beautiful weather had to offer, they soon saw Shula and Delma shuffle towards them, picking up the pace once they saw that Jack was on display. Wade spotted them in the corner of his eye and knew it was too late to escape, he gave a slight groan but Zoe cut him off by stabbing him in the ribs with her elbow.

" …" Shula called out as they came closer to the bench. Zoe looked up and smiled at them as Wade sat himself up straight, trying not to disturb his son.

"Afternoon ladies, lovely weather we're havin' ain't?" Wade said charmingly as Zoe smiled and rolled her eyes at how easy he could turn on that charm and it worked too as Delma and Shula smiled at each other.

"It's a great day, shame it's not gonna last." Delma said disappointingly as Zoe and Wade looked up at her.

Shula nodded her head "Big storm comin' through tonight. Tom Long has been runnin' around town makin' sure that everyone knows what to do in case the whole town washes into the gulf."

Wade and Zoe looked at each other, not really sure how to respond to a statement that completely contradicted the beautiful blue skies that hung above them.

"You're closin' the Rammer Jammer early tonight, right Wade?" Shula asked with such concern in her voice.

Wade looked down at his son who snoozed peacefully against his chest and then back up at the two women "wasn't plannin' on it if I'm bein' honest…"

"Well you should!.." Delma scolded him "… And you should probably tell the Mayor to put out a warnin' too, get everyone in doors before it hits, you know they reckon this will be the worst storm since the one that tore George and Lemon's weddin'? Well the weddin' that never happened…."

"You remember that storm ? Probably your first one here in Bluebell?" Shula questioned as Zoe blushed slightly- remembering that storm all too well as she caught Wade's glances in the corner of her eye.

"Oh I remember it alright…" Zoe answered as she looked down at her son, eager to make a move as the heat of the day was slowly beginning to intensify "… well we better going- don't want this little man out in the sun for too long."

The women didn't protest and insisted on getting a cuddle with the baby before Wade and Zoe eventually packed up their things and made their way across the busy town square. Wade pushed the stroller at a leisurely pace as both he and Zoe took in the tranquillity of the town and its people, both wondering if maybe the two women- who had never been wrong about southern Alabama's weather forecast, were in fact correct and they were in for a night of wind and rain. Wade came to a halt at the first street corner and sighed as he looked down at Zoe.

"You guys wanna come to the Rammer Jammer for lunch? Before I go back to work?" Wade asked, knowing his shift was imminent and that meant leaving Zoe and his son for the rest of the day and into the night, something he hated doing so much. Zoe knew exactly what he was hinting at and as much as she would love to spend the day with him she knew their little boy would have his own ideas.

"We should probably head back to the plantation, he needs feeding… "Zoe groaned "… prepare ourselves for this storm!" she added sarcastically as Wade chuckled a little before giving her a light kiss and peeking into the stroller to get a final look at his sleeping son.

….

Wade tapped his knuckles against the surface of the counter, scanning the empty bar that was in front of him. He looked at the clock over his shoulder and grumbled to himself at the frustration of only seeing 7:33pm. He looked the other direction at Wanda who sat alone at a table, picking at her finger nails. She looked up and met his stares with a cheeky grin.

"You believe me yet?" she asked as Wade rolled his eyes.

"Wanda there has not been a drop of rain or even a gust of wind all day."

"There ain't been a customer either…."

"Cause you're husband told them all to hide in their basements!"

"Wade, just accept it. No one is gonna leave their homes until TST has passed and the all-clear has been given."

"TST?" Wade questioned as Wanda stood up and walked towards the bar, undoing her apron as she walked.

"Tropical Storm Tom."

Wade scoffed "He named it…" he muttered to himself "…great…" he took a long breath "…alright Wanda, go home and barricade yourself in or whatever."

A satisfactory smile sprung across Wanda's face as she reached over the bar and pulled out her handbag along with her raincoat and bright pink umbrella. Wade observed her movements as he began stacking the chairs on the tables and by the time he had made it to the office door with the cash box she had bombed it out the door leaving just Wade.

After Wade reluctantly made the decision to close up for the night he began the quiet walk home, through a town that had, in a number of hours, become completely deserted. Every store front had been boarded up, the gazebo had been tied down and most of the houses he passed by had cleared their gardens and their porches stood bare. Wade had a lot of time to think as he walked home, with his hands in his pockets. He mostly thought about how much this day and night of lost business would impact the Rammer Jammer and on his family, as he was quickly learning that rearing a family was not easy financially and really required saving every possible penny- especially now when his infant son was so demanding fiscally. As he walked down the plantation and past Lavon's house he suddenly felt a chill shoot by him and then a drop of rain on the back of his neck. Once he felt it he stopped almost immediately and looked up at the sky that was almost covered in darkness but still the dirty black clouds that were rolling in could be seen. He continued walking towards the carriage house but at a quicker pace as the frequent drops soon turned into bigger drops and by the time he passed the gate house a light shower was beginning to fall and the gust of wind that met him at the plantation gates was now upgraded to a strong and constant swirl. He could see the porch light ahead of him signalling him home as he ran the final few metres with his shirt covering his head to shield himself from the downpour of rain. Before he opened the porch door he took a final look back at the surroundings, the rain now pounding against the pond and the wind causing the trees to swing back and forth.

"TST…" he thought to himself as he pushed the porch door open.

….

Zoe's eyes bugled in reaction to the blast of wind that smashed against the house forcefully "What was that?!"

"Wind." Wade answered bluntly as he emerged from the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

She could hear the rain against the roof and she shivered, she knew she was safe and that it was just a storm but something about the wind and the rain dominating the outdoors and the lights flickering made her feel uneasy.

"Maybe we should just go to Lavon's…" she suggested.

Wade shook his head "Too late now. No point in movin' the boy and all our stuff for somethin' that will have passed by mornin'… this isn't your first storm, why you so freaked out?"

Zoe repositioned herself on the couch and pulled the blanket back up around her torso as she watched Wade search for clothes in their admittedly, extremely cluttered bedroom "I love this carriage house but it makes weird noises in this weather and, its Jack's first storm."

Wade looked in at his sleeping son in the bassinet beside the bed and then back over at Zoe with that cheeky grin on his face "Yeah he looks real spooked alright." As he continued to search for clothes something caught his attention through the corner of his eye. It was a cardboard box that was half ripped and had damp spots all over it. He threw on a pair of jeans and made his way immediately to the box to investigate. Zoe never noticed his inquiry as she tried to focus all of her attention on the television that so far hadn't lost its signal.

"Hey Doc…" Wade's voice trailed off quietly as he picked up the box and made his way towards the couch.

"Could you imagine Lemon on _Say Yes to the Dress_?! We should send in an application… she would be hil-ar-ious!"

"Doc…" Wade said a little louder, this time grabbing his wife's attention.

"Huh?"

"What's this?" he asked as he set it down on the coffee table between the two.

Zoe set the TV on mute as she looked down at the box "Earl dropped it by while you were at work. Jack was having a meltdown so I didn't have time to ask him what it was… he just said that he was doing a bit of spring cleaning and that you might appreciate this. Whatever it is."

Wade took a long breath as he stared at the box and then back at Zoe who had a look of query on her face.

"What you think it is?" he asked nervously.

"I have no clue, only way to find out is open it."

Wade nodded his head as took another breath but was interrupted by a series of light flickers and then the inevitable power cut left the room in darkness. Wade knew Zoe was mid meltdown and within seconds he could hear her jump from her seat, and find her way to the bassinet through the light on her phone. Unsurprisingly enough the power cut had no effect on the sleeping infant who never budged despite his mother's concerns. As Zoe stood watch by Jack's side Wade searched for the dozens of candles that Zoe kept for occasions like this and began setting them up around the living room area. The box never left his mind though as he lit up the room and once the room was to an acceptable standard of brightness, he took a seat beside Zoe on the couch and pulled the coffee table closer to him so he could reach into the box.

Zoe watched on as he pulled open the flaps and peered into the box.

"What is it?" Zoe asked anxiously.

Wade took a moment as he examined its contents some more "Pictures and stuff."

"Pictures? What kind of pictures?"

Wade pulled some out as Zoe grabbed the box and brought it onto her lap. He flicked through them and even with the feint light he could make out every photograph crystal clear and remembered the events captured within them perfectly. As Wade engrossed himself in the photos, Zoe continued to search through the box; pulling out a worn baseball glove, a few medals and pocket sized trophies along with some seashells and some odd shaped rocks.

Zoe locked eyes with Wade who looked back in the box, still not really sure to make of what had just fallen in his lap. He had a small smile of disbelief on his face "He never fails to surprise, huh?"

Zoe scoffed "I can't believe we went searching for a family token for Jack and all he had to offer was an armadillo blanket!"

Wade nodded his head in agreement but also a little stunned at the fact that his father still kept moments from his childhood that he thought were long gone.

"Typical Earl I guess…" Wade said quietly, not really focusing on what his wife was saying.

….

"When was this?" Zoe asked as she held out a photograph for Wade to see. Wade, who was sitting beside her on the couch with her legs draped across his lap. The light from the candles was feint at best so it required him to squint at the photo from close up. He paused for a moment, waiting for the memory to click with him. He scanned the image and gave a tiny smile, taking the photo into his hand.

Wade exhaled "I was like 7…" he stated as he glared at the image of his young self, holding a fishing rod in one hand and a limp fish in the other "Earl took me and Jesse fishin' for the last weekend of summer…" he looked over at the boy standing next to him, about a foot taller than him, with a massive smile on his face, just like he himself had. Wade smiled to himself "… I caught my first ever fish that day- well Jesse did…" he looked over at Zoe, who was listening so intently to what he was saying "… he had caught like 6 that weekend and I cried so much that when he felt the fish tuggin' on the line, he switched our rods when I wasn't lookin'…." The only noise between them was the wind battering the windows as Wade gripped at the photo and gave a little laugh "I loved that damn fish so much, I wouldn't let Earl cook it..." he looked back at Zoe "… I found out Jesse switched the rods when I was like 15. Pretty sure we got into a fight over it…" he said quietly with a twist of regret mixed in.

Zoe immediately picked up on his sudden change of tone and the smile from his face faded, she watched as he took another look at the photo. Zoe placed her hand on his shoulder and rubbed it "Wade, when was the last time you spoke to your brother?"

"The last time you saw him." Wade answered bluntly.

Zoe sighed as she lifted her legs from off of Wade's lap, the mood officially shifted "Does he know that we're married? That he has a nephew?"

"I- I don't know, maybe he does… maybe he doesn't." He heard the little whimpers coming from the bassinet and took it as an opportunity to escape the conversation he really didn't want to have. He made his way across the room to see his son staring up at him with those big round eyes, glossy from his premature tears. Slowly he picked him up and pressed him up against his chest along with his blue blanket that wrapped around his body. Wade met Zoe's stares however who clearly wasn't ready to drop the subject of him and his estranged brother.

"You know it wouldn't take that much to call him, text him even."

"Phone lines are probably down with the weather. Could be down for days."

Zoe clenched her teeth, she really didn't appreciate his sarcasm "Doesn't it bother you at all that the person you were clearly once closest to…" referencing the stack of photos of the two brothers through various stages of their lives "… you're now farthest away from?"

Wade sighed "It did, but he left- and he stayed away. You know that so let's just, leave it this way."

"I think you're making a mistake. What about Jack? Don't you think it's unfair that he will never know his uncle because of something that happened years ago?"

"He left Zoe… just- just leave it alone."

Wade was being dismissive and they both knew it but neither had time to dwell on the subject as Jack's whimpers soon turned to wails and then to full blown screams. Both looked down at their child realising the cause of his screams. Without even checking the clock on the wall Zoe knew it was feeding time, she was just programmed to make her way to the mini fridge they had installed, take out a freshly made bottle and heat it up in the microwave that sat above the fridge. Zoe made it as far as the fridge before realising none of those actions were possible without electricity. It didn't take Wade long either to catch on and both looked at each other with panic.

"What do we do?!" Zoe asked desperately as she watched Wade comfort their son as best he could.

"I don't know…" Wade answered as he bounced the baby lightly as the screams got louder. As they both racked their brains something suddenly hit Wade as he handed Jack off to Zoe and disappeared into the hallway.

"Wade…" Zoe called after him but stopped once she got to the door as the eerie darkness was too much for her. She called out for him once more but only got a response of loud banging and the slamming of a door. She watched from the doorway as he pounded down the stairs with a grey crate in his hand that was covered with a dirty old sheet. Wade moved the box of stuff Earl had brought by to the ground and placed the crate on the coffee table, dropping to his knees so he could be at the same level. Zoe watched form behind as he pulled out a small camping stove, a saucepan and a box of matches. He looked up at her with a smile on his face as Zoe let out a sigh of relief.

"Remember when you told me to move all that campin' equipment out into the gatehouse?" he said sarcastically as he took a bottle of water from the fridge and poured it into the saucepan until it was half full.

Zoe had to admit she was impressed, further adding to the list of things she loved about him- his incredible instinct to protect and provide for his family, it was admirable. She handed him the bottle once he had successfully lit the fuse and the two of them watched as slowly but surely the water began to boil and the bottle eventually heated. Once Jack got that first taste of milk he was at ease and lay peacefully in his mother's arms as he sucked away with both his parents looking down on him.

"Pretty eventful first storm huh Jack?" Wade asked his young son as Zoe giggled.

"He's just lucky he's got such an amazing daddy to save the day…" Zoe remarked as she looked deep into her husband's eyes.

"I'd say both his parents are pretty amazin'…." Wade whispered as he leaned in and kissed her gently.

….

"Hey Earl…" Wade said loudly, announcing his arrival in his father's front yard. Looking up at his father on the roof of his house Wade could only imagine what he was up to. Earl turned around carefully once he heard his son's voice and moved even faster once he saw that Wade had a stroller by his side.

"Son…" he climbed down the ladder and landed safely on the ground "… and grandson.." he said proudly "…what are you two doin' out here this early in the mornin'?"

Wade gripped at the handles of the stroller, realising just how early it actually was "He's been up since 5- storm kept him awake most of the night. I needed to go check on the Rammer Jammer so brought him with me, let the Doc get some sleep."

Earl smiled in at his grandson who snoozed away peacefully. He was in total awe of the little tot and almost managed to completely ignore what his son was saying to him.

"What you doin' up on the roof?" Wade asked but Earl's head was still in the stroller. "Earl!"

"Huh?!"

"What you doin' climbin' ladders so early in the day?"

"Damn storm blew a few slates off, think the tarp is a bit ripped too."

"You want some help?" Wade asked.

"Nah, you got the boy and I'm nearly done."

Wade nodded his head "Alright…" he paused for a moment "…hey Earl, you talked to Jesse lately?"

That question took Earl by surprise, leaving him a little shocked. He couldn't remember the last Wade had asked about his brother and in a non-spiteful tone of voice. He scratched his head for a moment and thought "Not for a while, why? Have you?"

"No- no.." Wade stuttered "… I just, you got like a number or anythin' for him?"

"You want it?" Earl questioned suspiciously.

"Well, the one I got is an old one and I figured it was best to have a contact for him incase you fall down anymore holes…" he laughed anxiously as Earl nodded his head.

"Yeah I got one, come on in the house and I'll find it for ya."

Wade smiled and nodded his head, breathing a smile of relief as he followed his father in doors…

…**..**

**Again, I apologise that it took so long. It's a disgrace and it won't happen again! Please please let me know what you thought of it. Thank you **


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